KARACHI: United Arab Emirates based coach Irfan Ansari was suspended following allegations from Pakistan's captain Sarfraz Ahmed that he was approached to participate in a spot-fixing scheme, Cricket's administrative body said on Thursday.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Ansari was charged with three counts of breaching the body's anti-corruption code.
"Ansari has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect and has been charged for directly soliciting, inducing, enticing or encouraging a participant to breach the code and for failure or refusal to cooperate with the anti-corruption unit's investigation," said an ICC release.
Ansari, who is originally from Pakistan, has coached a number of small professional clubs in the UAE for years.
The ICC said the suspension comes after Ansari failed to provide requested information to group's anti-corruption wing on two separate occasions.
The charges center on Sarfraz's admission to the Pakistan Cricket Board and the ICC that Ansari had approached him about spot fixing during the one-day series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE last October.
Spot-fixing involves determining the outcome of a specific part of a match rather than the overall result, and is therefore harder to detect than match-fixing.
Ansari will now have two weeks to respond to the charges.
"The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage," said the body in a statement.
The PCB took extra measures to stem spot-fixing, with all six teams in this year's league monitored by anti-corruption officers.
Pakistan has a history of fixing cases, the latest being last year's scandal which rocked the Pakistan Super League held in UAE.
A spot-fixing case during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010 ended in five-year bans on then Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.
Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is also serving a life ban on charges of spot-fixing during a county match in England in 2009.
UAE based coach suspended over spot fixing offer
UAE based coach suspended over spot fixing offer
Home track advantage for Ameerat Alzamaan in the world’s richest race
- 2025 Fillies Mile winner looking to take her chance on Saudi Cup weekend
RIYADH: Saudi Arabian trainer, Sami Alharabi believes home track advantage could play to the strengths of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s runner, Ameerat Alzamaan (GB) in the Group 1 $20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday.
The brilliant Red Stable filly, a daughter of Ghaiyyath, has been a local success story winning six of her eight career starts including the 1,000 Guineas and then the Fillies Mile on The Saudi Cup undercard 12 months ago.
“I have been very pleased with her condition and believe she is in much better shape now than she was previously, showing clear improvement,” said Alharabi.
“My confidence comes from the noticeable development I see in her daily training, which gives me strong belief in her progression.
“It is very exciting to have a runner in The Saudi Cup and I place my trust in God for the filly to deliver a positive result.”
The four-year-old was supplemented into the Saudi Cup after missing out on an automatic entry when finding only the reopposing Mhally (GB) too strong in the G3 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup last month.
“I thought her performance in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was very good. It was a successful test for her, especially competing against seasoned and high-quality horses,” added the trainer.
She will race over 1,800 meters on Saturday, and Alharabi believes she will relish the longer distance: “The filly is versatile but I believe her ideal trip is between 1,800 meters and 2,000 meters, which suits her better than 1,600 meters.
“The Japanese horse, Forever Young, is the strongest and most dangerous rival and I anticipate a highly-competitive race, but the filly’s proven record at the track and her liking for the surface could work to her advantage and she will give a good account of herself.”
A jockey has yet to be selected, with Alharabi hoping for gates six or seven at Wednesday’s draw ceremony.
